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Gatsby. Chapter 6 thoughts. 2 nd Paragraph. a. The ‘Platonic conception of oneself’ means the ideal idea of oneself- Gatsby’s idealised version of himself that exists in his imagination and he works hard to move into actuality.
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Gatsby Chapter 6 thoughts
2nd Paragraph • a. The ‘Platonic conception of oneself’ means the ideal idea of oneself- Gatsby’s idealised version of himself that exists in his imagination and he works hard to move into actuality. • b. ‘Son of God’ is obviously a reference to Jesus Christ, the Son of God in Christian belief. Arguably this refers to his ‘rechristening’ or ‘rebirth’ of himself, tying to the idea of being re-born through faith in Christ in Christian belief. However the key difference is that where Christians live to follow in Christ’s example of selflessness and service to others, Gatsby is living to serve himself and his desires.
2nd Paragraph • Nb: Meretricious means to be attractive but without any value or integrity. • Nb2: Possible connection to Daisy being a holy ‘grail’ quest.
Rocks and fairies • Firstly this quote pertains to Gatsby’s dreams/hopes of a new life are in fact a false hope- founded on very little. It is interesting that Fitzgerald uses the image of the fairy’s wing – a light and mythical thing – as Daisy’s maiden name ‘Fay’ is synonymous with the word ‘fairy’. A pun and a foreshadowing that Gatsby’s hard work to secure Daisy’s heart will ultimately be in vain. Reality will break his dream and possibly the American Dream itself.
Rocks and fairies • Arguably the downside to ‘dreaming’ up a new persona is that it is just that a dream and Gatsby starts to believe he can will other things into existence, most notably a life with Daisy. His dream has stunted him intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Gatsby blindly pursues the dream he has tied his whole being to.
Gatsby tells tom • A sense of sport and machismo? Part of his great belief in himself? Is it a thinly veiled challenge to Tom? Does Gatsby see himself as a knight who can save the damsel from the dragon? Or the knight who can succeed in the grail quest?
Green card • Both ‘cards’ seem to be licenses to operate beyond the boundaries of the legal. Gatsby can flirt with the rules of the road, Daisy quite literally flirts with the boundaries of marital fidelity. However the green card refers to a physical green card that women would give to men with whom they wished to dance. The difference between the cards being that one represents an exemption to act in a usually unapproved way by society, the other does not. Also note the connection between the green card and the green light.
Daisy appalled • The ‘raw vigour’ of the party offends the Buchanan’s old money ideals. It is seems to be celebrating a ‘short cut from nothing to nothing’ and ‘she saw something awful in the very simplicity she failed to understand.’ Daisy finds the party too garish and gauche- too many low born people playing at sophistication.
Past repeated? • Possibly because he seems incapable of operating in the present- he himself lives in a past fantasy and hopes to restore that fantasy to the present. Nothing else seems to matter. In fact later, Daisy is compared to the Holy Grail- the mythical cup that Christ drank from at the Last Supper and which was meant to grant everlasting life. The cup was never found and represents a quest doomed to fail.
Final paragraph • a. The imagery is fantastical and beyond reality. Once his ‘unutterable vision’ has been ‘wed’ to her ‘perishable breath’, his mind would never ‘romp again like the mind of God’ or once he kisses her his impossible dreams will begin to fade away and he will be left with something flawed and disappointing.
Final paragraph • b. Gatsby’s kiss is presented as being tragically beautiful; Nick’s is convenient and significantly less magical. • c. Impossible to know- perhaps a revelation about Gatsby or Nick himself?
